Developing Our Partnerships

CAMOC is the International Committee for the Collections and Activities of Museums of Cities. It helps city museums build and care for their collections, and share them in ways that reflect a city's identity and future. The CAMOC Museums of Cities Review (CAMOC Review) platform shares in-depth knowledge and allows contributors to explore and reflect on their experiences working in Culture.

This new CAMOC Review brings to you articles from London, Dublin, Paris, Rome, Vancouver, Miami and beyond. The main subjects in this issue are oral history in city museums and education programs dedicated to different audiences, from wellbeing and care practices in museums, to initiatives in sustainability and climate change.

Our Head of Engagement, Laura Keogh has contributed an article to this international publication that discusses 14 Henrietta Street as a social history museum that not only tells the history of the city over 300 years but also encourages ongoing conversations and builds relationships with the people of Dublin.

The article, called “Revealing Dublin’s Past at 14 Henrietta Street”, discusses the history of 14 Henrietta street and the formation of the museum; the importance of the local community in the museum’s development; its guided tours; the museum’s collection and its oral history programme. The article concludes with a quote from Peter Brannigan, former resident of the house, which sums up the continued connection between the museum and the people who were involved in its formation:

“If I want to hear my mother and father and my brothers and sisters, this is where I come. I’ve always come, that’s why I come to this street, that’s why I come to this house, because I can hear, I can hear their voices. I feel so humbled I was allowed to be part of what’s happened here today, I really am. Just very great.”

To mark the release of the CAMOC Review, we participated in an online roundtable discussion which explored the key themes of the issue such as innovative exhibition design in city museums, sustainability practices, community engagement, educational initiatives for younger audiences, and views on decolonisation, among others. Speakers included guests from the University of Leicester, London Museum, STAM Ghent, HistoryMiami Museum, and Università degli Studi Roma Tre.

Both the article and the roundtable discussion, enabled us to share our people centred practices with an international audience and connect with other museums working in similar contexts. This gave us the opportunity to showcase our work and learn from and discuss the common challenges and successes experienced across the museum sector internationally.